The Man of My Dreams
by TwiHEAcontest
Summary: After her last breakup, Bella has often had dreams about a bronze-haired man, and in a somewhat sexual way. When she meets the same bronze-haired man, perhaps this is the time for her to find the perfect man. Entry for the Happily Ever After Twific Contest


**Contest entry for the Happily Ever After TwiFic Contest**

**Title: The Man of My Dreams**

**Pairing: Bella/Edward**

**Rating: M**

**Summary: After her last breakup, Bella has often had dreams about a bronze-haired man, and in a somewhat sexual way. When she meets the same bronze-haired man, perhaps this is the time for her to find the perfect man.**

**Disclaimer:**

**- All publicly recognizable characters, settings, situations, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**- Edward's poem is 'Adoration' by Laurence Hope.**

* * *

**The Man of My Dreams**

"Unngghhh…"

Those large hands felt so good on my skin. He hummed in appreciation, and one of his hands hiked my skirt up to my waist, revealing my blue panties to his hungry eyes. He nipped at my neck, and I bit my lip. My core throbbed and I knotted all my fingers in his hair. I grabbed his face and kissed him hard, fully aware I was lying on the dining room table in my apartment with him leaned on top of me.

"I love it when you wear a skirt. Your long legs…hmmm...I want you, baby…so much," he purred on my lips, and my body trembled with lust.

"Oh yeeess…" I hissed, and his hand began massaging my breast. My legs trembled, and he quickly wrapped his other arm to my waist to hold me in place. I could feel his throbbing member on my core.

"But first…I want to see you, Bella."

He glided his hand from my chest, down to my stomach and to my belly until he gently removed my panties. My heart was beating so loud, and I was sure he could hear it.

"Hmmm…" he murmured and began stroking me with his finger.

"Ohh!" I gasped and threw my head back, exposing my neck to him, while he continued to leave wet kisses on my skin and working his finger on my sensitive flesh.

He pumped in and out until I was thrashing on the table, but he was holding me tight to him. My stomach knotted, and I knew what would come next, but I wanted him inside of me.

"P-Pleaseee…I want you…inside of me," I panted. I wanted to say his name, but I didn't know why I couldn't.

He stopped and lifted his head. His green eyes bore into my soul, and he smiled. "As you wish, my lady."

He unhooked his belt and his pants and stripped his boxer. I swallowed when I saw him. He sensed my nervousness and began to kiss my temple, cheek and lips to comfort me. I returned his kiss passionately.

"Oh, baby…you're so beautiful…" he whispered and slowly entered me.

_RIIINNNNGGGGGGGG!_

My eyes snapped open, and I gasped for air. My heart thumped so loudly in my chest, and I wiped the sweat away from my forehead. Oh gosh, the dream…it happened again. It was so vivid; I could still feel my wet core and decided to take a long cold shower to wash away the memory. My phone alarm was still ringing, and I ignored it. It would stop anyway.

I looked over at the mirror after I had the cold shower and took a deep breath. Even though the dream was so vivid, I was never able to remember the man in it. The things I could remember were his green eyes, his sharp jaw and his hair. It had a unique color; it's more like brown-meets-red. And I couldn't remember if I ever had any male friends whom had hair just like that. Not to mention that it's just creepy dreaming of doing those things with a friend, or even my ex-boyfriend, Riley…and anyway, his hair is light brown, not reddish like in my dream.

I couldn't remember the first time I had that dream, it just came on unexpectedly, and not only on the times when I was sexually frustrated or something like that. But, it just happened, and I didn't know why. One of my colleagues, Alice Brandon, said it could be a sign for me to find the perfect man of my dreams. Yeah, right…I only dreamed of him always in a sexual content, so that was not a good idea.

I worked for a magazine company, Twilight Space, which specialized in decorating. I wasn't a writer, though, but a member of the research and development team. You know the people who are hired to tell you how to improve your magazine so the readers will stay loyal and not leave it behind? That includes me meeting with new architects, famous or independent, who suit our magazine's vision, before handing that person over to one of our journalists. I love my job even though I had to wear my professional mask when I found out my ex boyfriend cheated on me with his work partner. Riley was working as a journalist, and he had female partner Victoria Adams, a red headed chick who also more than his partner. I kicked him out of my apartment and sold the bed where I caught him with her. Riley, not only he was a cheating asshole, but he also blamed me for it, because of my work schedule saying I didn't have time for us to spend together.

Yeah, classic!

Thankfully, my job once again, saved me from the breakup effect. My ex might have said it was the reason for tearing us apart, but for me, it was what saved me from crumbling and hunting both he and that redhead down.

I hadn't had a relationship since then, not even the dates Alice set up for me a couple of times…and the dream started. I was thinking it was because of my loneliness which was eating away at my subconscious, and I was sure working extra scheduled hours, would make them go away.

Somehow.

"Bella, you look dead on your feet," Alice chirped when I arrived at my desk.

I looked at her. Alice was shorter than me with dark hair and blue eyes; she was super smart and believed in all kind of things supernatural. Among all of my other work colleagues, Alice was the only one I could trust. She was not only a great co-worker but also a great friend; a rare combination.

I shrugged. "Bad dream," I answered her.

Alice's eyes lit up. "You dreamed about him again?"

I blew a breath, "Yeah."

She rose from her chair and came to sit on my desk. "Do you think I might be right, Bella? You know, in Chinese and other cultures, dreams are considered as signs." She lowered her voice.

I ran a hand through my brown hair. "Oh, geesshh…I don't know. Besides the several horrible dates you set up for me, I barely have time to meet a new guy."

"Maybe you'll meet him unexpectedly," Alice insisted.

"Seriously, Alice?" I hissed. "I have only dreamed of this guy in a sexual way, and I never remember his face when I wake up. What makes you think I will remember him when I meet him?"

"Dreams are product of your subconscious, and your hidden desires," she continued, and I rolled my eyes. I've already heard about this several times. "And also, it could be the result of what you want. You'll know it's him when you meet him."

I gave her a look.

"The sign."

I threw my hands in the air. "Oh, please…"

"Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, meeting in my office, now," I heard Mrs. Stevenson call our names. Her head popped in my office door, and her long blonde hair swept across her shoulder. I have always thought my boss was beautiful. She should have become a model rather than the head of the R&D department.

"Yes, Mrs. Stevenson," Alice said in bright voice while I gave her a smile.

I turned around to my desk and grabbed my iPad before walking to my boss's office with Alice. There were several people here in the R&D department, but they were probably already somewhere else, approaching new clients to work together with our magazine. I rarely did the _outside_ job, mostly I was the one who finalized everything on paper, and even when I met with new clients, it was only for the final agreement.

"Please, have a seat," Mrs. Stevenson said to us after I closed the door.

"We have a deadline today," she suddenly spoke, and I mentally groaned. I was sure Alice did too, but we kept our poker faces on.

"Not that kind of deadline," my boss spoke as if she could read our minds. "But, I just got a phone call from one of our prospective clients. I planned to send Jessica Stanley to meet her today, but apparently she has a meeting with another client, so you're the only option, Miss Swan."

I wrinkled my nose when I heard Jessica being mentioned. She was good at her job but not really a good kind of friend. Thankfully, she has her own circle in this company, and she left me alone. I was curious about how this new client met with Jessica and still agreed to cooperate with us.

"Who is our client?" I asked, as I turned my iPad on.

"Esme Cullen. Her husband is a doctor. I heard she has two kids. She has her own architectural company, and she agreed to contribute to our magazine for one year as a start. If everything runs smoothly, it may be continuing for the next year."

Alice whistled while I Googled on my iPad. Several pictures of a caramel haired woman and several others with a blond man emerged. I could tell they were a very good looking couple. I wonder what their children would look like.

I pursed my lips. "She looks lovely." And I turned my iPad so my boss could see.

She nodded. "Yes, that's Esme."

I put my iPad back on the table, and Alice leaned forward to look at the pictures.

"Jessica is scheduled to see her tomorrow to give her the final agreement draft, but apparently Mrs. Cullen herself can't do that, so she asked for today instead. I hope you can meet with her today, Miss Swan."

I nodded. "It's not a problem, Mrs. Stevenson. Where do I meet her?"

My boss gave me a paper, and I took it. I was meeting her at a high class restaurant half an hour from my office. I was hoping I could be there sooner; hopefully Los Angeles traffic was not that bad.

"And Miss Brandon, your job is to design the page or column which Mrs. Cullen is going to use."

"Yes, boss," she grinned, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alright. Off to your jobs now. I'm expecting good news this afternoon."

I nodded and rose from my chair. We both walked out of the office, and I quickly grabbed my bags. I had to meet with Mrs. Cullen at 10:00 am. I gathered all the things I needed to bring, and when I took my phone, I realized I forgot to charge it this morning. With a sigh, I turned my phone off and said goodbye to Alice before I walked to the elevator.

I drove to the restaurant and arrived 5 minutes early. Thankfully it was not lunchtime yet, so it was not too crowded. A waiter approached me and I told him that I had appointment with Esme Cullen. He seemed to understand and escorted me to a table in the corner of the room. He asked for my order, but I declined. I glanced at my watch, and it read 10:00 am sharp.

I waited patiently and tapped my fingers on the table. I looked around and enjoyed the soft music that was playing for a while. The room was so cozy with an expensive chandelier on the ceiling. I waited and waited until I glanced again to my watch and it read almost 10:30. I blew a breath, and I grabbed my bag, intending to call my boss when a voice greeted me.

"Excuse me. Are you Miss Swan from Twilight Space?"

I froze and looked up.

And what I saw made my heart stop.

In front of me stood a man in a white shirt and black pants with reddish-brown hair, green eyes and a sharp jaw.

I shivered and trembled.

It was not a dream.

It was real.

Alice was right.

Although I didn't remember his face, when I saw this man, everything was clear for me.

For a moment, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Miss Swan? Are you alright?"

Oh, that voice…it was velvet and beautiful too.

But, I couldn't answer him because my world suddenly turned black.

* * *

I felt something on my skin.

Soft.

Warm.

I slowly opened my eyes and met with those vibrant green eyes, and all the events from earlier played automatically in my brain, waiting in the restaurant and the man…

I gasped and quickly sat up, while my 'dream man' quickly took away his hand from my forehead.

"Wow, Mr. Cullen. I don't know what happened earlier, but you're really scaring her now," I heard someone said.

"Shut up, Black," I heard his velvet voice, but this time it was stern.

I massaged my temples and my eyes slowly focused on the green eyes again. I could see him clearly now. High cheek bones, perfect nose and the rest were exactly like in my dream. But, this was different from my dream; with the green eyed man in front of me, I felt safe, not just something sexual like it was in my dreams…

He smiled, although a little bit hesitantly, probably not wanting me to pass out on him again. "Miss Swan? I'm so glad you're finally awake. I was just about to bring you to the hospital."

I swallowed thickly and looked around. I was in a room, and I was sitting on the sofa. "Where am I?"

"I brought you here to the private lounge when you passed out," he answered again.

Oh, I didn't know this restaurant had a private lounge. I almost slapped my forehead. Just great! I was here for a meeting, but I passed out instead. When I remembered about my earlier intention, I snapped my eyes back to the green eyes.

"I was here to meet someone," I said while scooting off of from the sofa, but he held my arm gently.

"Yes, I know. You're going to meet Esme Cullen, right?"

I looked at him in surprise. "How-?"

He smiled again. "That's what I'm here. My mom couldn't make it, so she asked me to meet you here to talk about the final agreement."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "And you are…"

"I'm Edward Cullen. Esme is my mom. It's nice to meet you, Miss Swan."

Esme's son. Oh yeah, I remember my boss told me Esme had two kids, and her husband was a doctor. It made sense because Mr. Cullen said earlier he would bring me to the hospital to see his dad. I groaned.

"Miss Swan?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little bit tired. What do you think about discussing the agreement now?"

Mr. Cullen chuckled. "I don't think so. You just passed out. Maybe you should eat something." And then, he looked over at the waiter across the room. I forgot he was there. "Jacob, get something for Miss Swan."

The waiter grinned. "Of course, Mr. Cullen."

He quickly walked out of the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Cullen. He looked back at me with a smile in his eyes.

"It's nice to finally have a proper introduction. I guess you need an explanation. I didn't want to come here when my mom asked for my help; the woman who arranged the deal with her was somewhat nosy, and very annoying." I knew he was talking about Jessica, and the selfish part of me was quite happy he didn't meet with her too. "But, then she said I had to meet you…well, it's so much better than the annoying woman my mom told me about."

I smiled a little.

"And you look beautiful too, just like your name."

And now my heart stuttered.

Mr. Cullen's eyes turned a little bit sad. "May I ask you why you passed out earlier?"

My smile faltered a bit. Uh oh, this was a hard question. I couldn't tell him the exact reason, at least not now-or maybe ever. He was attractive, but we were only talking about business.

_Think of something, Bella._

"Uhm…I…I guess I skipped my breakfast…." I answered him in low voice.

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, really." It was half true, though.

For a moment, we only stared at each other until he took a deep breath. "Well, it's good to know because I was so worried earlier. I thought I was scaring you."

Well, a little.

He gave me a glass of water. "Here, drink this. You must be thirsty."

I slowly raised my hand and took the glass. Our skin touched, and my heart thumped again from the contact. I looked at his eyes and he only smiled at me warmly. I took another unnecessarily breath and emptied the glass.

I looked back to Mr. Cullen. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if you were going to meet me here. Nobody from my office told me about this."

He shrugged. "It's okay. It's not a big deal. After we eat, maybe we can discuss the final agreement."

"Mr. Cullen-"

"Edward."

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Edward. Mr. Cullen makes me sound old."

I chuckled. "Okay then, Edward. Well, in that case you can call me Bella."

Edward's eyes lit up. "Ah, Bella. The short form of Isabella, right? It's more fitting. You're as beautiful as your name."

My heart stuttered again.

Damn, he was good at compliments. I bet a lot of women fall at his knees, but not me. He might be the same man in my dream, but this is reality. And I still couldn't forget about how my ex cheated on me.

I smiled tightly. "Thank you."

Edward furrowed his eyebrows and cleared his throat. "Okay. Maybe we can sit somewhere and talk about this business arrangement."

"Sure," I answered quickly.

He let go of my arm, which I didn't realize he still held, and I tamed my hair a little bit. He helped me stand on my feet before I grabbed my bag. We both walked out of the private lounge and back to our previous spot. Some of the guests cast their eyes on me, and I bowed my head with blushing cheeks. They must have seen me pass out earlier. Suddenly Edward placed his hand on my lower back. His hand felt right, awakening something inside of my body, and I clutched my bag tighter. He didn't remove his hand until we arrived at our table, and he pulled out the chair for me. Such a gentleman.

I stuttered my 'thank you', and he sat on the chair across from me. The waiter, Jacob, arrived with food and drinks on his tray, and Edward insisted I eat. He said this was his treat. We enjoyed our food, and when we finished, we started to talk business. Edward seemed to already know a lot about his mother's future project with my company, and it made me realize that he and his sibling were probably close with their parents. I must say this agreement could be a benefit to both parties. We finally had a deal agreed upon, and I gave Edward the final agreement for Esme to sign, and I told him I had to go back to my office.

"May I give you a ride?" He suddenly asked me.

I smiled. "No, thank you. You already treated me to an expensive lunch. Besides, I have a car with me."

"Are you sure you can drive?"

"Yes."

Edward nodded warily. "Bella, would it be okay for me to ask for your number?"

Huh?

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You can ask Mrs. Cullen for my office's number."

He blew a breath and nervously ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair. "Yeah, I know that. I just…I want to ask for _your_ number. And I'm not talking about your business number."

Not talking about business?

That means it's personal?

Oh, hell…

"Edward, I don't think-"

"No no no…it's not like I'm asking you to date me. Well, maybe not now." And my body shivered for unknown reason. "Can we at least be friends? I really like you."

My eyes widened.

"As a friend," Edward said quickly although I could see his cheeks tinted pink, making him look younger.

I couldn't resist laughing seeing the adorable sight in front of me. "Of course." I decided not to make the situation any more awkward.

I gave him my phone, and he raised his eyebrows. "No wonder you didn't know I was here. Your office probably called you, but you turned off your phone."

I mentally slapped myself again.

He turned my phone on and pressed the numbers and then I heard his phone vibrate. He smiled and gave me my phone back. "That's my number, and now I have your number as well. May I call you sometime?"

I pursed my lips, although I wasn't sure he would do that and half wishing he didn't tell anyone I passed out on him. "Sure, why not?"

"It's been very nice meeting you, Bella."

I nodded. "You too, Edward. See you later."

He grinned. "Oh, we will."

I mentally rolled my eyes and walked out of the restaurant. I could still feel his eyes on my back, and I walked faster.

I rode back to my office, and surprisingly, Alice had already gone home. I met with my boss and told her about my meeting-minus the passing out part. Mrs. Stevenson scolded me about turning off my phone when she wanted to tell me about Esme's son. Edward was right when he said my office had probably called me.

Surprisingly, I slept without dreaming that night and yeah…I didn't forget to charge my phone this time.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up in a bright mood. I didn't have the 'dream', and I was glad for it. I needed all my focus today to do an administration process as the result of my meeting yesterday with Edward.

Edward.

The name made my insides twist. Is it possible for someone to feel attraction the first time they meet? I've dated a lot before–as a part of Alice's set up-and some of them were quite good looking men, but I didn't feel a single thing for them. But, with Edward it was different. My body and my heart reacted instantly when our eyes met. Maybe…just maybe…he is indeed the perfect man for me.

I shook my head and quickly took a shower and changed into work clothes. I arrived 10 minutes early, and Alice looked at me with a furrow in her eyebrows.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"What?" I asked her with bright voice as I sat on my chair.

"I don't know. You look happy."

"Do I? Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

She rolled her eyes.

I grinned and began to turn my computer on. I checked my e-mails and the proposals when suddenly someone cleared his throat.

"Excuse me. Miss Swan?"

I raised my head and turned to see a delivery man with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Alice raise her eyebrows.

"Yes?" I stood.

"These are for you, Miss Swan. Can you sign here?" He handed me a clip board, and I signed my name. Once I was done, he gave me the sunflowers and smiled. "Have a good day, Miss Swan."

I blinked several times when the delivery man walked away from me, and I glanced around to see some of my co-workers look at me in curiosity. Even Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly.

I raised my eyebrows. "What?" I asked them, and they all quickly averted their gazes from me.

Alice whistled and approached me. "Wow, Bella. Who's he?"

"I don't know."

"Are you seeing a guy? Why didn't you tell me?"

I didn't answer her. I looked closely at the flowers and found a note attached to one of them.

_**Bella,**_

_**Your kindness lent to my caresses  
That beauty you so lightly prize,  
The midnight of your sable tresses,  
The twilight of your shadowed eyes.**_

_**For that gift all thanks are given**__**!**_

_**Edward**_

_Holy!_

"Edward?" I didn't realize Alice was already by my side and also read the note.

I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, Edward."

I put the sunflowers on my desk and sat on my chair.

Alice eyed the flowers before she returned to her desk and typed something on her computer. "Damn, Bella! Do you even know what sunflowers mean?" She suddenly asked.

I looked at her. "No. What is it?"

Alice's blue eyes glinted. "They means adoration, silly."

Just like that and I felt my heart slipped a little bit for Edward Cullen.

* * *

"So, this Edward…" Alice tried again when we had lunch together.

I sighed. "Geesshh, Alice. He's no one, okay?" I felt a twinge in my heart when I said that. "He's Esme Cullen's son. There! I said it!"

"Huh? How did you meet him?"

I took a sip from my latte cup. "Well, apparently Mrs. Cullen couldn't see me yesterday, so she sent her son to meet me. That's all."

Alice nodded. "Oh, I see. So, he's the reason you're happy today?"

I blew a breath. "Not really. I'm just happy I didn't have that strange dream again last night, so I slept well. As for Edward, there's nothing going on between us."

"Uh huh. But, I can't say the same about him based on the flowers and the note he gave you."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not interested in having a relationship right now."

"Oh…he's not that good looking, huh?"

Is she even kidding me? Edward was the most attractive man I'd ever seen, and the scary part was he was just like the man who was often in my dreams.

"Bella?"

I took a deep breath and took my iPad. I Googled Edward and when his picture showed up, I gave my iPad to Alice. And her reaction was just like I imagined. Her eyes widened, and her mouth turned to 'o' shaped.

"Oh gosh, Bella…he's…"

"Yeah, he's just like the man in my dream. Creepy, isn't it?" I chewed my bottom lip.

Alice smiled lightly and looked at my eyes. "No, it's not. Maybe your dream is indeed a sign."

"You still believe that?"

"Oh yes, I do. And I do believe in happy endings," she grinned.

I raised my eyebrows. "Happy ending? Alice, we've only spent about four hours in each other's company."

"When fate comes to you, there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Oh great, here we go again.

"Although I have to say your subconscious does have really great taste in men." She giggled.

"Is that so?" I asked in doubt, as my eyes landed on another picture of Edward with a beautiful strawberry blonde standing next to him. His arms were around her waist.

Alice sensed my gaze and squeezed my hand gently. "It's time for both of you to meet with each other. Don't think too much, Bella. Believe me. You will soon have both your dream man and your happy ending."

I wish I could believe her.

* * *

The next three days were filled with gifts from Edward. Flowers, poems, you name it, he sent it. And strangely, the dreams also stopped. To be honest, I loved all of it. I felt special, and my attraction for Edward started to grow…well, it was there before, but it was intensified now. It was hard not to have feelings for him. The reason I doubted his intention was Edward hadn't called or even texted me yet. Alice assured me he was probably biding his time to see my reaction. On the other hand, I was curious about the final agreement which I gave to Edward. I hadn't heard anything from my boss or any of the gossips in our office about the decision. I was afraid Mrs. Cullen rejected the proposal because her son told her I passed out on him when we met.

On the morning of the fourth day, I had just arrived at my office when Mrs. Stevenson called me to the meeting room. I assumed it was for another prospective client because I worked with a few proposals these past few days. But, when I arrived, my heart automatically thumped in my chest when I saw Esme Cullen in the room.

I clutched my iPad and my phone tighter, and prayed silently this was all about good news, and judging from their expressions, I would really hope so.

"Please, have a seat, Miss Swan," my boss motioned to the chair next to Mrs. Cullen.

I gave them a tight smile and sat slowly. Mrs. Cullen smiled warmly at me, and I returned it. Her smile calmed me somehow.

"Esme is here to give the final proposal, and since you're the one who gave the proposal to her son, I'll let you know about this," Mrs. Stevenson continued.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stevenson, but, I thought it was Jessica who-"

"Actually she dropped this proposal before the final decision was made. She probably has another client who's more interesting for her. I'm not really surprised." She glanced briefly at Mrs. Cullen.

_Oh, I see…well, her loss is my gain…eh, what am I thinking about?_

"I'm looking forward to working together with your magazine, Cecile," I heard Mrs. Cullen speak. Her voice was so smooth and calming. "I've actually been waiting for this opportunity for so long."

My boss smiled. "Thank you, Esme. So, is there anything that you need to discuss with us or maybe with Miss Swan? I can call Miss Brandon here to discuss the design for your column."

Mrs. Cullen shook her head, and she looked at me briefly before turning to my boss. "I can talk to Miss Brandon later. But, can I talk to Miss Swan alone?"

And my body went two degrees colder.

Mrs. Stevenson seemed unaware of my pale expression. She smiled again. "Of course you can, Esme. I'll be in my office if you need me."

I tried to calm myself as she rose from the chair and finally walked out of the room, which left me alone with Mrs. Cullen.

_Oh gosh…what will happen next?_

"Miss Swan? May I call you Bella?" Mrs. Cullen asked me with warm green eyes; the eyes which reminded me of someone. Not so surprising because this was his mom, although his eyes were more vibrant.

"Y-yes," I stammered. And she knew I like to be called Bella too. I bet Edward already talked about me.

She smiled. "Don't be nervous. I'm here to talk about personal matters."

And it was impossible to stay calm.

_That's it! She's going to talk about my passing out._

"Okay," I said in shaky voice.

"My son said hi."

Oh heavens…

"Your…your son?"

"Yes," Mrs. Cullen nodded. "He talked so much about you after you two met. He even begged me to talk with you in private when he knew I was coming here today."

I grimaced. "Did he tell you about how we meet?"

Mrs. Cullen chuckled.

_Oh yeah, he definitely did._

"Yes, he did. He told me he was so panicked at that time. I didn't know the reason you passed out, but it was interesting to hear the story from him."

_If only they knew…_

I bit my lip. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Bella. I would be angry with him if he didn't help you, but I'm sure he is such a gentleman, right?"

I smiled slightly. "Yes, he is." The memory of him pulling out the chair for me did strange things to my body.

"I've never seen him like this before, Bella. Not even with his last girlfriend." I suddenly remember the strawberry blonde woman. "Edward is a little bit old fashioned when it comes to spending a lifetime with someone. He sees me and my husband, and also his older brother with his sister-in-law, and he wants the same. He wished for it with his ex-girlfriend, but apparently it didn't go well."

Oh…

"He had given up, but everything just changed when he met you," Mrs. Cullen continued.

"But, we've just met, Mrs. Cullen. We barely knew each other." Some parts of me started to believe in Alice's theory now.

"You'll know when your heart knows the one. That was what I felt when I met my husband."

I shook my head. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

_And we definitely wouldn't have talked about this if Jessica was the one who met with Edward._

She smiled and held my hand. "I just want to help my son. He really likes you and wants to ask you out, but he also doesn't want to frighten you. And now I will have a partnership with your magazine so why not? Besides I can't see him looking like a lost puppy any longer."

I blinked. "Lost puppy?"

She shrugged. "He's just like a young boy who has a crush." She looked at me pointedly. "A _huge_ crush."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What about his ex-girlfriend?"

"Why don't you ask him? I'll leave this matter to you, Bella. I'll be waiting for you to come to our house soon," Mrs. Cullen smirked.

"Mrs. Cullen, I don't-"

And then I felt my phone vibrate on the table. I glanced and almost gasped when I saw Edward's name on it.

Mrs. Cullen gave me another pointed look before she rose from the chair. "I'm so happy Cecile gave my final agreement to you instead of Miss Stanley. Just between you and I, she is very unprofessional."

I gaped. And then I remembered how my boss glanced at Mrs. Cullen when she told me about Jessica dropping out. Was it Jessica or could it be it was Mrs. Cullen's request to replace Jessica, and my boss gave it to me? No wonder Jessica always stared at me with evil glances after I met with Edward. Talk about fate, huh?

She clasped my shoulder, "Oh, and Bella?"

I looked at her, still in a daze. "Yes?"

"Call me Esme."

* * *

I clutched my purse and took a deep breath. I stood in front of the restaurant, Perch, and smoothed my blue cocktail dress before going in. After Esme walked out of the meeting room, I opened the text message from Edward. He was asking to meet me at this restaurant tonight. I didn't answer him immediately but asked Alice first. She encouraged me to accept it and said, "Are you crazy, Bella? Those are the best poems in the history of humankind. You'd better say yes!" And after thinking about it for a while, I couldn't lie to my heart; I wanted to see him again.

So, here I am now…

I knew the restaurant was quite expensive, but considering the restaurant Esme had chosen for the meeting where I had first met Edward, I shouldn't be surprised. I approached the waiter and said I was here for Edward Cullen. He nodded and escorted me to the elevator. I took several deep breaths to calm myself, and then my eyes widened when the elevator opened.

Edward sat on one of the chairs, with black suit; so handsome. His head turned in our direction, and he smiled when he saw me. I didn't know what I felt anymore. I was a mixture of nervous, giddy, excited and felt special when I realized we were on the rooftop. I knew Perch had a splendid rooftop dining restaurant and I never dreamed I would come there. Just like in a fairytale. And at that moment, I wanted to see Edward, not as the man of my dream, but a man who set his eyes on me and me who willingly opened my heart a little bit for him.

My dream was fantasy, but now it is reality.

"Hi," Edward breathed when the waiter left us. His smile didn't falter.

I smiled softly. "Hi."

"You look lovely, Bella. Thank you for coming here," he said.

"Thank you for asking me. This is the first time I've been here."

His green eyes lit up, seeming happy to hear my excitement. "Well, that's good. This will be a new experience for you."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you can say so."

We stared at each other before Edward cleared his throat. He motioned to the table in the corner of the room that was separated from other tables even though it was only the two of us here. There were also plates of food and drinks, waiting for us.

"Oh, Edward, this is so lovely," I blurted out.

He smiled again. "I'm so glad you like it. I hope you like French."

_Oh, I like everything you give me…_

I shook my head to clear my evil thoughts. I can't blame them, though.

He escorted me to the table and again pulled out the chair for me to sit. We ate in comfortable silence, accompanied by the soft music playing in the room. I finished first and couldn't resist admiring the sight of downtown Los Angeles at night. It looked so beautiful from up here.

"Do you want to see it clearer?" Edward suddenly asked.

I turned my head to him and realized he had finished his food. I must have spaced out. His green eyes hypnotized me, and I shook my head from the effect. "I'm sorry, what?"

He smiled and gestured to the banister. "We can see the view clearer from there."

"Oh."

I blushed. He probably watched me earlier.

"Come on." He rose from his chair and extended his hand to me.

I slowly took his hand in mine, and my body felt warm from the contact. It felt like years since we touched, although it was only four days ago. Edward smiled when our hands met and squeezed it lightly. I rose from my chair and walked with him to the banister.

"Wow," I said in awe. Edward was telling the truth when he said the view was clearer, but it was also beautiful.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked me in strange voice, and I turned my head to see him looking at me with smoldering eyes. My heart instantly knew he wasn't talking about the view.

A wind gushed, and I shivered slightly, both from the effect of his words and the cold. Edward shook his head slightly and took off his blazer. Without another word, he placed it on my shoulders. I looked at him again, but he only smiled.

"Thank you," I said in low voice.

"You are most welcome, Bella."

I bit my lip and returned my gaze to the view around me. The atmosphere turned a little awkward. What am I supposed to say next? Should I thank him for the flowers and the poems? Or else?

"Did you…uhm…did you like the flowers?"

I blinked and turned my head to look at Edward again. He just beat me to it. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and I smiled softly.

"Yes, they are so beautiful. Thank you. I love the poems too."

Edward smiled. "I'm so happy you like them."

Another silence.

I took a deep breath. Okay, I guess this is time for us to just talk about this.

"Will you tell me why you did all of this?" I asked him carefully.

He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his reddish hair. It looked a little bit redder under the dim light. "I think I need to be honest with you."

I nodded. "Yes, please."

Edward leaned over the banister. His eyes gazed over to the lights around us. "I don't know if this is normal, or if you can call me crazy, but I felt different when I met you." He turned to look at me. "I like you, Bella. A lot."

My heart started erratic. Yes, I know that. His poems showed me that. What I don't understand is what makes him so sure about it?

I cleared my throat. "Um…thank you. Well, your mom already told me that. But, we only talked for about four hours. How can you be so sure?"

"Because," he paused and turned his body to face me. "Because what I felt when I saw your eyes nearly took my breath away. My heart almost stopped. I don't know what happened, but at that moment, it was my heart that spoke to me, not my brain. Logically I know it's impossible, but strangely my heart doesn't agree with my brain."

He leaned closer, and I couldn't move. His body was so warm. "How about you, Bella? How do you feel about me?"

I looked into his eyes briefly before I clutched his blazer and looked over to the view around us. He already spoke about his intention, so it was best for him to know about me.

"I've had a boyfriend."

I could feel Edward tense next to me, and I looked back at him. "I'm sure you've had girlfriend in the past."_ That strawberry blonde woman._

His face relaxed slightly when I used the past tense. He nodded. "Yes, Tanya, my ex-girlfriend."

I nodded and turned away from him again, feeling slightly relieved he didn't hide anything from me. "I loved him or perhaps I thought I did. I met him in college, and we graduated together. We also looked for a job together before I got accepted at Twilight Space and he at one of the local magazines. We were doing fine; we were even talking about our future. But, then everything changed."

I could feel Edward move closer to me, but I didn't stop him.

"He began to spend his nights working, or that's what he told me anyway. I didn't question him because I trusted him, but we were slowly drifting apart. I realized it too, so one day I asked my boss if I could go home early to spend time with him and what I found was beyond my comprehension."

I turned my head to Edward and trembled slightly. Images of Riley and Victoria in a compromising position flashed again in my eyes. Images which I buried deep down inside which I desperately want to forget.

"Bella?"

I felt him hold my arms, but I didn't remove my gaze from his eyes. He had to know, and I realized I had to let it go.

"He was there. Fucking another woman. In our bed!" I said harsher than I thought.

I expected Edward to flinch or maybe to let go of my arms, but he didn't. Instead he held me tighter.

"Later I found out she was his partner, and they already had been having an affair for quite some time. I just feel so stupid. Since that day, I never believed in love. I never believed in happy endings. I never believed in anything." Tears which I held in for a long time suddenly burst and I began sobbing. My chest heaved, and my body shook, bringing up all the emotions I buried inside.

Edward quickly wrapped me in a hug, and I collapsed on his chest, letting go of all of my feelings I held. He stroked my back up and down lovingly, and sometimes I felt him kiss my hair to comfort me. I wept for my broken heart, for my broken self-esteem, for my broken future. And for the first time, I wept for the love I once thought I had.

"What did I do wrong?" I said brokenly between my tears, and Edward quickly leaned away to brush away my tears with his thumb.

Our eyes met, and he cupped my face with his large hand. "You did nothing wrong, my dear one. He wasn't the right guy for you," he said soothingly.

I smiled sadly and looked at him with blurry eyes. A part of me felt so good to be crying because I remembered I hadn't even cried when I found out about the affair years ago. I chose to let it slip away and let my work make me forget. But, there with Edward…all my walls were slowly crumbling.

Maybe Esme was right.

Or perhaps Alice was right…again.

_You'll know when your heart knows._

But, now…It was out there, and he knew my past. There was a chance he would just walk away, and the realization cut my smile.

"Now you see, Edward, I'm not as wonderful or exquisite as you think. You thought so highly of me while the reality is I'm not." I bowed my head. "Although I must admit, I love all your flowers and poems. It makes me feel so special and I can't remember the last time I felt like that." I looked up again to meet his eyes. He still looked at me lovingly, but I didn't want to have high hopes…and the protecting walls surrounded my heart again.

"I wish we could have met in better circumstances. It would have been better for us," I added in low voice.

Edward squeezed my arms gently. "First of all, thank you for being honest with me. And second, I don't care about the circumstances. Our hearts will never lie to us, Bella. I can't lie to my heart. I want something special from you, and even though you're not ready, I'm willing to wait."

I chuckled lightly and shook my head. "We've thought we were in love before. Me with my ex and you with yours. What makes this different?"

He smiled. "My mom always told me my heart will know when I've found the one. I may love my ex or at least I thought I did," he raised his eyebrows when he quoted my words. "Just like you, I already had planned about our future together, but maybe we weren't destined to be together. At some point, I just felt like I didn't know her anymore, and we just couldn't communicate to maintain our relationship."

Edward took a deep breath, as if to collect his thoughts. "Apparently she felt it too, and we decided to end it in a good way. We are still good friends. For all I know she's in France and already engaged."

I smiled grimly. "See? So, what makes this time different?"

"Because, I never felt anything close to what I feel with you about my ex," Edward said passionately. "And one thing I know." He leaned closer. "You never fall in love the same way twice."

I gasped.

Love…

Fall in love…

And this time I knew my walls were ready to fall apart again.

"And your ex is a one big fool to let you go," Edward said in stern voice.

"Is he?" I asked in a daze, not able to tear my eyes away from his. All the protecting walls surrounding my heart slowly crumbling down…and maybe will never return.

"Yes. There's a man who will cherish you, care for you and love you for the rest of his life." He leaned closer again, and our faces were inches from each other.

My brain said it's impossible, but my heart didn't agree.

Just like Edward said.

"I want to meet him," I whispered in defeat. I was tired of fighting…and I wanted to be loved.

His lips ghosted over mine. "You already have," he replied.

I didn't pull away when our lips met.

I didn't say no when he pulled me tighter to his chest.

I didn't even fight when his tongue brushed over my lips and I opened my mouth.

I moaned when our tongues met and felt desire surge into me when he moaned back in pleasure. The feelings I've never had when I was with Riley.

And the desire…it was different from what I remember in my dream. This was deeper, as if we were one.

I could feel my heart is fully open for him.

I knew from this moment our hearts belonged to each other.

* * *

I stood in front of the big mirror and looked over at the woman in the reflection. She was so beautiful, her brunette hair tied in complicated braids and bun. Since that night, Edward and I were officially a couple. We learned all about each other (I finally knew Edward had his own architect business), knew each other better and to my surprise, we had so much in common. He took me to his parents' house a month after I became his girlfriend and I officially met his parents and his brother. Edward's brother, Emmett, was a lawyer, and he was a funny guy while his wife, Rosalie, was a beautiful blonde with a smart and witty attitude.

And I took Edward to meet my parents the next month.

Apparently he was still curious about why I passed out on him the first time we met, and we both blushed furiously when I told him the story behind it. But, it slipped away when we made love for the first time in his apartment three months after I met with his family. And God, he was so amazing. He's totally the man of my dreams, and in my reality, too. The way he made me feel was beyond everything. I learned Edward could be so gentle in bed or wild (oh, I love it when he gets wild) and what made my heart soar was he said I was the one who ignited those feelings.

And no, we didn't do it on his dining room table, but in his bed. Although the memory of us on the dining room table in my apartment always made my cheeks burn and my stomach knot.

I still remember that moment.

It was when we had our first anniversary. We celebrated it at my place and I cooked dinner for both of us. Believe it or not, I wore a cocktail dress that night. Edward had already set his hungry eyes on me the moment he walked through my door, but he said he wanted the 'dessert' later. I tried to control myself and not just jump him when he said that. When dinner was over, we both cleaned the dishes and the table. It was the moment when he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, and I stilled my movement.

His body was so hot, and I could feel his hard member on my back. I gulped. The memory from my dream flashed in my brain, but when I felt his other hand caress my thigh, and he bit my earlobe gently, I knew this was reality.

My body trembled. "Oh God…" I whimpered.

Edward chuckled darkly. "My name is Edward, my dear." His hand traveled from my waist to my right breast and he gave it a gentle squeeze. My legs buckled, and I had to hold onto the table or I might collapse.

"Do you still remember your dream about me taking you on your dining room table?" he whispered huskily and slowly removed his hand from my waist, toying with the zipper of my dress.

My heart was beating frantically.

"Y-yes," I stammered.

He slowly unzipped my dress, and the cold air hit my exposed skin. Edward kissed my bare skin, and both of his hand slowly slid my dress over my shoulder, leaving me only with my lacy black bra and panties.

"Hmm…you are so beautiful, Bella. And you're mine," he purred in my ear, making my brain hazy with lust and want.

I wanted him.

I turned my body to face him, but he quickly turned me back again. "Patience, my love," he said smoothly.

I swallowed and heard the rustling sound of him unbuttoning his shirt, unbuckling his pants, take off his shoes and remove his boxers. My heart was beating so loud, and my stomach knotted. Hearing him stripped bare while I couldn't see brought another fire in my body. I waited nervously and trembled over the anticipation of what would happen next.

He swept my hair to one side and gently unhooked my bra, removing the straps from my shoulders. He kissed my neck and my shoulder and pressed his body to me. I bit my lip when I felt his hard lines on my back. His large hands now tugged down my panties, and I was completely bare in front of him.

"A woman's backside can be so tempting, you know? It makes a man want to admire and conquer at the same time," he whispered in my neck, while his hands were massaging my breasts.

"I…I…don't know," I answered breathlessly. I couldn't make a logical sentence with his pulsating member on my back and his hands on my breasts, tweaking my nipples playfully.

"The mythologies or tales…lots of them told about a man seeing a woman bathe from behind, and their minds are going crazy." His voice was smooth and husky; I barely held myself together. He gave my neck another wet kiss. "Just like me going crazy now."

His words went straight to my core, and I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't mind if he just fucked me right then and there.

"Edward…please…"

"Yes?" He rubbed himself on me, and my body set on fire.

"Please…I want you to…" I could barely think.

He kissed my shoulder gently. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I know exactly what you want."

One of his hands left my breast and glided down to my stomach and then to my core. I moaned when his finger stroked me.

"I love the way you sound when I touch you, my dear. And you already wet for me, my love."

"Yes," I whispered.

"What are we waiting for, then?"

He turned my body around, and I could see him naked in front of me. My body exploded with lust and desire at seeing his bare chest, muscular stomach and…uhm…yeah, the precious thing between his thighs. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up on the table. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he laid me down. He kissed my lips, my neck and down to my chest hungrily. Sucking, grabbing and sometimes whispering dirty words, making me writhe in pleasure. His hands were kneading and groping my body as if he couldn't get enough of me.

_Like I said, I loved it when he got wild._

"Edward…no teasing…please…I want you…now…" I panted.

He lifted his head, and our noses touched. He gave me a playful smile. "Hold on, baby."

I gasped loudly when he entered me. He grunted and sucked my earlobe when he pounded his hips with mine. I held onto his shoulders and the table was making loud noises because of our movements. Thankfully, I choose a quite convenient table. If it's not, it's probably already broken by now, not that I care. I moved my hips to meet his thrusts, and he made a loud growl sound in my ear.

"Mine! You're mine, Bella! Say my name, baby. Let all the men know you're mine."

_Oh God, I love it when he talks like that too_…

"Oh, Edward…"

He pushed deeper, and I cried out when he hit my sensitive spot. I wrapped my legs tighter and that increased Edward's movement. It felt so right; lust, desire, love…our eyes met, and I saw the deep love there, that made my heart constrict and made my body more alive. I stroked his hair while he was moving inside of me and he gave me a gentle kiss. I dug my nails into his back when I felt my stomach clench, and I came hard screaming his name.

Edward dropped his head on my shoulder and pounded harder. After four more deep thrusts, he grunted my name and held both of my shoulders. Our chests were heaving and our bodies were slick with sweat, but we didn't break the connection. We laid there, chest to chest, limb to limb in an effort to control our breathing and then slowly Edward raised his body.

He looked at my eyes and pecked my lips. "That was…wow."

I chuckled. "Wow, indeed."

Edward smiled lazily and rested on his elbows. "So, which one was better? The one in your dream or this?" His eyes glinted.

I smiled and stroked his jaw, "Definitely this."

He smirked and kissed me deeply. "That's good," he said against my lips. "Because from what I remember, we were not naked in your dream."

Oh…yeah…

"Happy anniversary, Bella."

I hummed and tangled my fingers in his hair. "Happy anniversary, Edward."

I shook my head and ignored the butterflies in my stomach. I even took deep breaths to calm my erratic heartbeat and my dirty thoughts. There will be time for that later.

"Bella?"

I turned around and saw my dad standing at the door. He looked so handsome in his tux. I smiled and walked to him. He held my hands and smiled.

"You look so beautiful, honey. Be happy with Edward," he said.

"Thank you, Dad. I love him. And thank you for your blessing." I smiled with misty eyes.

"Now now…don't cry on me. Alice will kill me if you ruin your makeup."

I laughed and blinked the tears away. My dad offered his arm, and I took the bouquet from the makeup table before taking his arm. We smiled at each other and walked together to the church hall.

Today, I was finally get married to the man of my dreams. He was everything I wanted. And he was standing there at the end of the altar, in front of the minster who will bind us as husband and wife forever.

His eyes never left mine, even when my dad kissed my cheek and gave my hand to him. His eyes stared deep into my soul when he said his vows, just like I did when I said mine.

When the minister proclaimed us as husband and wife and he kissed me, I knew I had my happy ending.

He smiled when he ended our kiss. "I love you, my wife."

I smiled. "I love you, husband."

I took his arm, and we turned to face our friends and family. My cheeks blushed when they stood, cheering for us. Edward squeezed my hand gently and kissed my forehead.

We stared at each other, and I know he's not only the man of my dreams but he's the man in my reality. Why do I say that? Because the dreams completely stopped since I met Edward.

And yeah, we definitely will live happily ever after.

* * *

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